CAMERON WU

mudwerks:

Rainy Day (by John McNab)

destructs:

Christopher Jonassen
Devour, 2013

At first glance, these objects may look like planets but they are actually photos of the bottoms of frying pans.

I love her eyes—I love the way they twinkle; I love the way they mirror her mood. I can’t help but smile, knowing that she’s happy—knowing that she’s content because she’s found the one.

I love it when she’s happy, and yet I hate how that person isn’t me—can’t be me—won’t ever be me. I will never be the man behind her smile. I will never be the twinkle in her eye. I will never be the one who can hold her hand and make it all better on rainy days. Never.

What a fucking sham I put myself through, believing that maybe—just maybe—there was a chance of us. Us—what a silly concept. She’s had him for three years, and who am I kidding? She deserves him; he deserves her. They deserve each other; they deserve to be happy together. And what shall become of me? Well, well, well, therein lies the problem: the question implies a definitiveness in its answer—it implicates certainty and a future. To some degree, it even implies moving on. What shall become of me? I think the more appropriate question would be “what shall not become of me?” Well, that’s easy: her. Us.

I’ve lived too long in dreams of what-if and never-could-be. Moving on isn’t a reality—it’s a surreality that only happens in dreams. The stuff of fucking dreams.

Death is too hard, though, contrary to popular opinion. Not that I’m prescribing suicide for myself, but suicide is exactly so hard because it requires pre-planning. It requires overcoming the innate human fear of death and consciously selecting it as the preferable alternative. No, I could never do that. Death is too hard for me.

I have to live through this torture. I’m happy when I’m with her, and yet I realize the impossibility of such a hope.

A great mash-up of the Batman/Dark Knight triology—thoughtful and innovative in how it captures the essence of the films.

cavetocanvas:

Jenny Holzer, Inflammatory Essays, 1979-82

modernizing:

Graphic designer Noma Bar has created these fantastic illustrations in which he manipulates the negative space around various shapes.

eatyonomnoms:

Ten Things To Do When You Feel Like Crap:

1. Have a really hot, long shower. Cry if you need to. Sit on the ground. Feel sorry for yourself. Let the steam soak into your skin. Let the hot water wash your face clean. But the moment you turn off that water, you are done feeling sorry for yourself. Make a decision to move on from that sadness.

2. Clean. I know, cleaning is boring and annoying - but how about that feeling you get when you are finished? The smell of the vacuum. That feeling of accomplishment? Who knows, you might even find money along the way. Totally worth it. It’s like starting with a clean slate.

3. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to for a while. If your first choice doesn’t pick up, choose someone else. Ask them all about how their lives are going and tell them about yours. Not only will it take your mind off whatever crappy thing you have been plagued by, but you will laugh with them! Laughing triggers endorphins and endorphins make you happy!

4. Go for a run or a walk. This get’s your endorphins and dopamine going crazy. You will get more energy and more happiness just because the chemicals in your body are running around!

5. Stop and take it all in. Walking in the night? Stop and look at the stars. Breathe in the cold air. Feel alive. 

6. Stop whining. Ever heard the saying “love life and life will love you back”? Or, the idea of the power of attraction? It’s true! If you sit around saying “why me, waaaaa waaaa” then bad things will happen to you. You’re already defeated. If you start saying, “I will be happy, I will accomplish my ambitions, I will find love, I do look amazing, I am a great friend” etc., then not only will you start to believe them but you will be amazed at what amazing things start to happen.

7. Drink tea. This always works. Not a tea fan? Try hot water with a slice of lemon and some agave syrup. 

8. Make a conscious decision to stop holding certain grudges. We all have people we have held grudges on in the past. Let them go. If you feel like you owe this person an apology, don’t be too proud. Send them a sincere facebook apology. Sincerity is in the intent, so even if it’s a 2 sentence apology - as long as you mean it it’s worth it. 

9. Cook some really nice, warm food. Stimulate your taste buds with anything as simple as two minute noodles or as lavish as a three course garlic bread, pasta bake, chocolate mousse triple combo. 

10. Write down a list of goals to achieve for the week. As simple as “buy insect repellent” or as large as “jog for 25 minutes non stop” and tick them off when they’re done. You will feel very accomplished and that alone will help pep up your mood!

modernizing:

Philographics: Poster Artworks by Genis Carreras

Solar Eclipse, May 20th, 2012.

Robert Ryman, Surface Veil III, 1971

From the Guggenheim:

Throughout his career, Robert Ryman has attempted to eliminate illusionism and outside references from his work, focusing instead on the fundamental properties of the materials he employs. He has confined himself to the color white, yet disclaims its importance. “It was never my intention to make white paintings,” he insisted in a 1986 interview with critic Nancy Grimes. “And it still isn’t… . The white is just a means of exposing other elements of the painting.” These “other elements” include varieties of paint (oil and acrylic) and supports (canvas, paper, and metals), as well as the process of binding them. He investigates the properties of these elements methodically, yet responds spontaneously to the unpredictable exigencies caused by their interaction.

hifructosemag:

Scott Hazard creates photographic and text sculptures that develop two dimensions into three dimensional constructs. Hazard’s goal with these photographic sculptures and font filled landscapes is to capture the viewer within the pieces. As Hazard says, “looking into them creates an atmosphere of in-betweenness which helps frame the small extractions and resonances of the world featured in each work.” Hazard relates his work to visual poetry and feels that once the viewer roams into his work with their eyes viewing becomes a tactile experience. Scott lives and works in Raleigh, North Carolina. - Zach Tutor

cavetocanvas:

David Smith, Cubi XXVII, 1965

From the Guggenheim:

Smith completed 28 works in his last series of monumental abstract structures, the Cubis, before his death in May 1965. These celebrated sculptures were composed from a repertoire of geometric cubes and cylinders of varying proportions. All of the Cubis are made of stainless steel, which Smith burnished to a highly reflective surface. He told critic Thomas Hess, “I made them and I polished them in such a way that on a dull day they take on a dull blue, or the color of the sky in the late afternoon sun, the glow, golden like the rays, the colors of nature.”

Some of the Cubis are vaguely figural, while others, such as Cubi XXVII, suggest architecture. This example is one of three Cubis usually referred to as “Gates” (although Smith called them “arches”), which rise like giant rudimentary doorways framing a central void. By counterbalancing a cylinder that appears to rest precariously on edge with two small tilted blocks that look equally unstable, Smith emphasized the potential energy captured through the welding technique. The artist activated the surface of the structure through the curling traces left by the polishing process, creating, in his words, “a structure that can face the sun and hold its own against the blaze and the power.”

Jacob Patterson:

There has been just one being in the history of everything that has lived on this planet that is capable of rational or introspective thought. One being that can observe conditions and logically predict their outcomes through the discourse of research and analyzation. Just one. Every other form of nature relies on some form of instinct to continue its existence.

But instead of using this progressive power of introspection to wisely observe our situation and come up with plots for the future and solutions to current problems, we mostly do something which is the opposite of progression: we search for meaning to justify what is happening to us.

Creatives do this perhaps more often than any, but I would say that a vast majority of people live within the cage of fear that requires use of introspection to justify their condition. It’s damn hard to escape that fear and to escape a search for useless meaning, but we are all capable of it. Meaning has its place in your life but only where you choose to define it.

Source: http://jacobpatterson.tumblr.com/post/22614256046/the-plight-of-the-human-condition

Intertwined between the intimacy of Lindsey Stirling’s meandering strings and the addicting, tantalizing bass lines of the accompanying dubstep background lies a certain harmony that is both tender and intense at its core. Nonstop (under the YouTube username “WHZGUD2”) echoes this principle in his form and movements, narrating a tale in which the unconventional combination of musical genres is seemingly unsure if its self. Caught between two styles that could very well be polar opposites, Nonstop does a spectacular job of conveying that tenuous moment of wavering indecision.

I apologize for the lack of new content over the past few months. I’ve been trying to sort out a few things in my life, but rest assured, as I’ll be back in a few weeks.

Until then, see you, Space Cowboy.

(+1 for you if you get the reference.)

I don’t even know where I would be without you. You’ve helped me get through so much difficult stuff, and for that, I’m extremely grateful. Now that I look back on how we met, it all seems so coincidental: a perchance meeting in an amusement park with thousands of other teenagers from all across California. Despite that, however, I’m sincerely glad that we were able to get to know each other as well as we do now.

During my junior year (or sophomore year for you), I didn’t really know who you were. And I’ll be honest here—I had forgotten your name by the week after Knott’s. In fact, I had to ask Jessica Sun to remind me who you were when I was tagging CSF photos on Facebook for that trip. Now, it all seems so silly that I could forget you, but back then, it was entirely plausible. We had a lot of fun during that night, screaming “IB” on all the rides… oh wait, that was just me.

As 2010 progressed, we got to know each other better. It’s a bit ironic when I think about it now, as it was only through what may have been one of the hardest times of not just my senior year, but my life, that I received the opportunity to get to know you better. I’ll never forget the early AIM conversations that we had, and how they led up to me trusting you with many of my secrets. I’ve never really told anybody else that much about me, but now, I’m really glad that you were the person I chose to confide in.

Though we only started our 11:11 wishes after I stopped with Tracy—it was in early January, I believe—I have to say that I’ve never regretted them. They’ve been different than the ones I used to have with Tracy, but, in their own way, they’re also a lot better. Every day that we talked, whether it be online or in person at school, helped me get though that first hurdle.

I’ll always be grateful that you were there to support me in my awkward and precarious relationship—if you can call it that. I always went to you with my worries, doubts, and regrets, and you always seemed to have a way to make me feel better. Figuratively speaking, I knew that I could always lean on you.

I don’t believe that my words here can fully express how awesome of a person and how great of a friend you are—that feat can only be achieved in remembering all of the memories that we had together—and the ones I’m certain we’ll have in the future.

Though this may be coming to you a little late, I sincerely hope that that fact does not detract from the meaning of this blog entry. With that being said, let’s begin.

I’ll be honest. I’ve been typing and deleting text for the past five or so minutes, trying to think of a good way to start this letter off. Staring at uninspiring text just plain sucks, in my opinion, so I decided to go with a more unconventional approach: that is, starting off with a mixed first person and third person omniscient point of view. But I think I’m getting off-topic.

Anyway, I’m really glad that I got to know you better last year. While we first met during our freshman year (wow, it feels weird saying that now that high school is over) in Art, we didn’t really become close until junior year, when we had IB Art and Bio together. During that year, we shared some really great times, and made lots of memories. I’ll never forget our art museum trips and the fun that we had with Alan, Charlsie, and Spencer. Man, we were such a great group. It was during that year that I discovered how awesome of a person you really were: fun, caring, and always smiling. Your attitude was contagious, and oftentimes, talking with you would liven my day and help me forget my worries, if only for a period or two a day.

When I found out that you were dropping IB, I was naturally sad, but I knew that we would continue to talk, so that sort of ameliorated the problem. However, when I heard that you had moved during the start of our senior year, I was genuinely disappointed. Now, I’m glad that we were able to keep in touch thanks to Facebook and AIM, despite the miles that separated us.

All in all, knowing you has been great, and having you as a part of my life has been even better. I’m not going to say “good luck” because I know that you won’t need me to. After all, we all make our own luck, right?

With my warmest regards,

Cameron Wu